The Los Angeles Chargers thought they had a significant play in the second half of their wild card playoff matchup against the Houston Texans, thanks to safety Derwin James.

James was covering Dalton Schultz when Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud attempted to pass to his tight end for a score. The experienced defensive back positioned himself well, timing his jump perfectly to intercept the ball and clutch it against his chest as he fell to the field.

This appeared to give the Chargers a vital interception. At the moment, they were down 10-6, so taking the ball away in the red zone would have stopped Houston from adding to their lead.

However, after reviewing the play, the crew led by Land Clark overturned the interception, determining that James did not successfully secure the ball while hitting the ground.

The ruling was accurate, as James lost grip of the ball momentarily as he tried to secure the catch. Since the ball came into contact with the ground, it was deemed an incomplete pass.

This infraction significantly hindered the Texans’ progress, forcing them to settle for a field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn instead of securing a touchdown, increasing their lead to 13-6.